Political stories, opinions, comments and analysis

A picture of 18-month-old Palestinian toddler who was burned alive by Jewish extremists (July 31).

Brief record:
One-and-a-half year old Ali Saad Dawabsha became the latest victim of Israeli violence on July 31. He was burned to death. Other members of his family were also severely burned in a Jewish settlers’ attack on their home in the village of Duma, near Nablus, in the West Bank.

One year ago, three Israeli Jews admitted kidnapping and burning Palestinian teenage to death. Mohammed Abu Khdeir was found burned to death after disappearing in July 2nd, 2014. Forensic analysis of his remains suggested he was still alive when he was set alight.

On June 18, extremist Jews set fire to “Fish and Bread” Church in Tiberias located close to Tiberias lake. Jews also wrote racial slogans on the walls of the church.
Yishai Schlissel, an Utra-orthodox rabbi stabbed six people at Jerusalem's annual Gay Pride. A 16-year-old girl 'Shira' died as a result of the attack at Hadassah University Medical center.Benzi Gopstein, leader of anti-Arab group Lehava, allegedly called for the burning of churches at a panel held this week for Jewish yeshiva students, using ancient Halachic, or Jewish law, to condemn what he called Christian "idol worship."
When a journalist at the panel informed Gopstein that he was on camera and could be arrested for his comments, Gopstein said he is prepared to spend 50 years in jail for his remarks, according to a video of the panel released by the Haredi website Kikar Shabbat.

Israeli President Rivlin was threatened by suspected Jewish extremists after his comments on the death of an 18-month-old Palestinian amid worsening tension between Israel and Palestine.Ben-Gurion - Rabbi Herzog deal:
The first Israeli prime minister considered the army service by ultra-Orthodox Jews a "First and Foremost, a Great Moral Issue", as Ben-Gurion replied on Herzog's letter. However, "The exchange of letters between the two dealt with Ben-Gurion's intention of reducing the scale of the postponement of army service, which had been granted some ten years before to ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students and which in fact gave most of them completeexemptionfrom military duty."

Silent conflict: Secular versus religious Jews:
Secular Zionists blame ultra-orthodox Jews for the economic crises in Israel. The latter usually don't work nor participate in social or military activities. Moreover, Haredim Jews usually have large families and they are almost totally dependent on the state's funds.

Haredim [Ultra-orthodox Jews who refuse the modern secular lifestyle] typically had large families and it was hard for them to survive when Haredi men would
stay in the yeshiva and refuse to work in the Israeli economy. These funds allowed yeshiva
students to support themselves and it dissuaded them from looking at finding employment in the Israeli workforce. The Haredim clung to this provision intensely, often fighting to keep funding strong despite the fact it was coming from the Israeli government. They tried confronting this paradox in various ways, but were mostly unsuccessful. For example, establishing an independent social service system was meant to counter the dependence on the Israeli government for important social services. However, groups like the Neturei Karta have been successful in staying independent of Israeli social services, thanks to their commitment to resist Zionism as much as possible. —"Haredim vs. Secular: Israel’s Internal Culture War and the Fight for Israeli Identity", Levitt Fellowship Research, Hamilton College, 2012

The ‘Equal Burden’ law:

The Knesset approved the ‘Equal Burden’ law in 2014, according to which thousands of Haredi Yeshivah students will be drafted into the "Israeli Defense Forces" beginning in 2017. The opposition protested the vote, and even in the coalition there was disagreement after MK Chetboun (Jewish Home Party) voted against the law.

The inevitable explosion:
Haredim Jews who refuse the modern life, and work nothing, but preaching hatred against Christians, Muslims and even secular Zionists and Jewish gays as well. They also have their loyal followers who are ready to execute their 'holy orders'.
Undoubtedly, Jewish extremists will keep assaults against the mentioned groups and/or Non-Jewish holy places. However, the conflict will be escalated someday if they keep their hatred crimes in the same pace.
For instance, what will happen if they attack Holy Sepulcher (Church of the Resurrection) or Al-Aqsa Mosque?